From BornxRaised to Equihua: A Running List of Brands That Are Giving Back in the Time of Coronavirus

The fashion industry will likely be one of the most financially affected by this pandemic. Already, brands have either gone on hiatus for undisclosed yet obvious reasons, while other folks have been furloughed or fired entirely. Amidst the uncertainty of what the future holds, many Latinx-owned companies and allies—small, street, luxury, established and everything in between—are lending a hand as best they can.

Meanwhile, brands like Prada, Chanel and Estée Lauder have pivoted the focus of their production efforts to provide medical supplies (either masks or hand sanitizer) to those on the frontline of this health war. European fashion houses like Kering (Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent) and LMVH (Dior, Louis Vuitton) are reportedly producing masks for Italy and China respectively. Spanish brands like Inditex (Pull & Bear and Massimo Dutti) and Mango are also donating fabric masks.

On Thursday, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti reportedly encouraged everyday constituents to wear masks while outdoors. He was the first to do so. By Saturday, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other states like New York followed suit. While N95 masks can and should be reserved for medical professionals, cloth masks (hand-sewn) are becoming a go-to alternative, though not direct substitutes in terms of effectiveness. That being said, everyone is doing what they can with what they have.